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Liberal Arts Colleges

Best Liberal Arts Colleges

Pomona College ranked first and Bowdoin College ranked second in 2025 Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. (Read our ranking methodology and know how to rank.)

The following list summarizes the core statistics for top 166 Liberal Arts Colleges. You can check the schools in the comparison table below.

The average undergraduate tuition & fees of the top 166 Liberal Arts Colleges is $58,524.
The average graduate tuition & fees of the top 166 Liberal Arts Colleges is $30,261.
The average SAT score is 1,343 and the average acceptance rate is 45.71%.
The average number of students is 1,970 and the students to faculty ratio is 10 to 1.
The average graduation rate is 78.18% and the transfer-out rate is 10.82%.

Best Liberal Arts Colleges Comparison Table

The following table shows Best Liberal Arts Colleges. You can sort the table by column by clicking/touching column titles and narrow down the college list by using buttons below.

Rank	College Name	Undergraduate Tuition & Fees	Graduate Tuition & Fees	SAT Score	Acceptance Rate	Population	Graduation Rate	Student to Faculty Ratio
1	Pomona College Claremont, CA	$65,420	-	1,540	7%	1,700	93%	7 to 1
2	Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME	$67,832	-	1,520	7%	1,881	95%	9 to 1
3	Barnard College New York, NY	$69,888	-	1,520	9%	3,487	93%	10 to 1
4	Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA	$65,494	-	1,540	7%	1,623	92%	7 to 1
5	Williams College Williamstown, MA	$68,560	$68,620	1,540	8%	2,164	94%	6 to 1
6	Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA	$67,980	$72,294	1,530	10%	1,393	91%	8 to 1
7	Colby College Waterville, ME	$69,600	-	1,510	7%	2,412	89%	9 to 1
8	Amherst College Amherst, MA	$70,480	-	1,540	9%	1,914	94%	6 to 1
9	Harvey Mudd College Claremont, CA	$68,613	-	1,540	13%	951	92%	8 to 1
10	Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA	$68,045	$47,437	1,480	14%	2,241	94%	7 to 1
11	Middlebury College Middlebury, VT	$67,600	$15,210	1,500	11%	2,803	91%	8 to 1
12	Wellesley College Wellesley, MA	$67,176	-	1,520	14%	2,407	92%	7 to 1
13	Haverford College Haverford, PA	$70,398	-	1,510	12%	1,431	90%	8 to 1
14	Colgate University Hamilton, NY	$70,306	$70,306	1,500	14%	3,211	91%	9 to 1
15	Hamilton College Clinton, NY	$68,960	-	1,500	14%	2,031	91%	9 to 1
16	Davidson College Davidson, NC	$64,430	-	1,460	13%	1,869	91%	8 to 1
17	College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA	$64,500	-	1,340	18%	3,126	87%	9 to 1
18	Bates College Lewiston, ME	$66,590	-	1,465	13%	1,760	90%	9 to 1
19	Grinnell College Grinnell, IA	$68,196	-	1,490	15%	1,788	88%	9 to 1
20	Wesleyan University Middletown, CT	$70,042	$69,702	1,490	16%	4,011	93%	8 to 1
21	University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA	$65,230	$31,229	1,480	22%	3,722	85%	7 to 1
22	Carleton College Northfield, MN	$68,892	-	1,515	20%	2,128	90%	8 to 1
23	Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY	$71,030	$67,805	1,500	19%	2,462	91%	7 to 1
24	Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA	$67,812	$29,616	1,400	29%	3,969	86%	9 to 1
25	Pitzer College Claremont, CA	$65,192	-	-	25%	1,242	83%	10 to 1
26	Lafayette College Easton, PA	$64,648	-	1,430	31%	2,775	88%	10 to 1
27	Smith College Northampton, MA	$65,178	$64,870	1,490	21%	2,857	89%	8 to 1
28	Trinity College Hartford, CT	$70,770	$20,890	1,405	29%	2,238	84%	9 to 1
29	Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA	$65,920	$55,140	1,390	29%	1,679	82%	8 to 1
30	Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO	$70,734	$31,350	1,340	18%	2,056	88%	9 to 1
31	Scripps College Claremont, CA	$65,950	$48,598	1,500	38%	1,137	83%	10 to 1
32	Trinity University San Antonio, TX	$53,676	$23,597	1,405	26%	2,687	84%	8 to 1
33	Union College Schenectady, NY	$69,039	-	1,390	44%	2,065	80%	9 to 1
34	Denison University Granville, OH	$67,000	-	1,410	17%	2,394	79%	9 to 1
35	Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY	$67,140	-	1,390	21%	2,704	83%	8 to 1
36	Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA	$62,805	$17,000	1,330	72%	1,788	82%	9 to 1
37	Macalester College Saint Paul, MN	$68,104	-	1,440	29%	2,138	87%	10 to 1
38	Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA	$70,794	-	1,375	28%	1,808	84%	9 to 1
39	DePauw University Greencastle, IN	$59,070	-	1,315	57%	1,917	75%	10 to 1
40	Dickinson College Carlisle, PA	$65,650	$3,750	1,380	42%	2,314	80%	11 to 1
41	Saint Johns University Collegeville, MN	$55,816	$18,030	1,100	91%	1,572	75%	12 to 1
42	Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA	$67,018	$33,270	1,460	36%	2,275	84%	9 to 1
43	Saint Anselm College Manchester, NH	$48,920	$21,348	1,200	78%	2,111	80%	12 to 1
44	Westmont College Santa Barbara, CA	$53,584	-	1,330	77%	1,310	70%	10 to 1
45	Occidental College Los Angeles, CA	$66,274	$66,274	1,440	44%	1,881	81%	9 to 1
46	Oberlin College Oberlin, OH	$67,366	$30,320	1,450	34%	2,909	81%	9 to 1
47	Ursinus College Collegeville, PA	$61,061	-	1,305	92%	1,502	73%	10 to 1
48	Willamette University Salem, OR	$51,156	$50,164	1,360	77%	2,180	71%	13 to 1
49	Centre College Danville, KY	$52,820	-	1,360	54%	1,404	81%	10 to 1
50	Kenyon College Gambier, OH	$71,520	-	1,420	31%	2,249	82%	9 to 1
51	College of Saint Benedict Saint Joseph, MN	$55,756	$23,283	1,160	92%	1,429	77%	11 to 1
52	Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA	$59,850	$7,620	1,230	81%	2,255	82%	13 to 1
53	Drew University Madison, NJ	$47,100	$27,010	1,225	68%	2,232	70%	11 to 1
54	Randolph-Macon College Ashland, VA	$49,466	$47,780	1,080	87%	1,687	70%	11 to 1
55	Wheaton College Wheaton, IL	$45,546	$20,160	1,380	87%	2,874	85%	10 to 1
56	Bard College Annandale-On-Hudson, NY	$66,436	$44,500	1,380	52%	2,911	68%	9 to 1
57	Lawrence University Appleton, WI	$56,982	-	1,350	64%	1,417	77%	7 to 1
58	Millsaps College Jackson, MS	$44,680	$18,000	1,060	43%	593	57%	9 to 1
59	Goucher College Baltimore, MD	$53,350	$18,834	1,220	78%	1,459	57%	9 to 1
60	Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport, LA	$41,200	$9,585	1,120	56%	712	56%	8 to 1
61	Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA	$66,640	$4,500	1,370	39%	2,812	83%	10 to 1
62	Allegheny College Meadville, PA	$56,550	-	1,250	55%	1,171	73%	8 to 1
63	Lewis & Clark College Portland, OR	$64,828	$19,800	-	78%	3,504	75%	12 to 1
64	University of New Hampshire at Manchester Manchester, NH	$36,418	$16,856	1,100	81%	663	50%	8 to 1
65	Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA	$52,638	-	1,180	71%	1,527	76%	9 to 1
66	Hampden-Sydney College Hampden-Sydney, VA	$54,550	-	1,180	41%	946	62%	9 to 1
67	Agnes Scott College Decatur, GA	$50,604	$19,550	1,240	62%	1,079	71%	10 to 1
68	Saint Michael's College Colchester, VT	$51,450	$13,400	1,210	85%	1,323	73%	10 to 1
69	Emmanuel College Boston, MA	$48,550	$14,400	1,250	76%	1,983	68%	13 to 1
70	Augustana College Rock Island, IL	$51,598	$35,010	1,150	63%	2,570	73%	12 to 1
71	Connecticut College New London, CT	$67,242	$13,950	1,430	37%	1,990	82%	9 to 1
72	Reed College Portland, OR	$69,350	-	1,420	25%	1,358	71%	9 to 1
73	Linfield University McMinnville, OR	$51,736	$39,865	-	85%	1,709	70%	10 to 1
74	Gordon College Wenham, MA	$30,700	$8,960	1,250	69%	1,595	69%	10 to 1
75	Saint Norbert College De Pere, WI	$45,580	$12,790	1,135	86%	2,032	71%	14 to 1
76	Transylvania University Lexington, KY	$46,870	-	1,250	87%	1,006	71%	10 to 1
77	Austin College Sherman, TX	$48,121	$60,300	1,200	48%	1,217	67%	11 to 1
78	St Olaf College Northfield, MN	$59,760	-	1,380	48%	3,124	84%	11 to 1
79	Hobart William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY	$64,928	$28,179	1,300	64%	1,841	77%	11 to 1
80	Rhodes College Memphis, TN	$57,110	$57,110	1,385	50%	1,861	85%	9 to 1
81	Furman University Greenville, SC	$59,770	$14,796	1,340	43%	2,554	79%	10 to 1
82	Berea College Berea, KY	$51,658	-	1,240	19%	1,527	58%	9 to 1
83	Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo, MI	$60,900	-	1,290	75%	1,166	76%	10 to 1
84	Spelman College Atlanta, GA	$31,556	-	1,220	25%	3,417	78%	11 to 1
85	Hendrix College Conway, AR	$38,200	$38,200	1,240	56%	1,110	72%	11 to 1
86	Ouachita Baptist University Arkadelphia, AR	$34,500	$17,188	1,170	68%	1,858	61%	14 to 1
87	Hanover College Hanover, IN	$42,698	-	1,180	84%	1,243	67%	11 to 1
88	St Lawrence University Canton, NY	$65,900	$24,560	1,350	54%	1,991	79%	11 to 1
89	Ripon College Ripon, WI	$51,900	$8,425	1,160	80%	709	63%	12 to 1
90	Georgetown College Georgetown, KY	$42,840	$11,880	1,060	91%	1,345	49%	13 to 1
91	Wabash College Crawfordsville, IN	$50,800	-	1,170	63%	866	77%	9 to 1
92	Oglethorpe University Atlanta, GA	$47,590	$13,950	1,180	88%	1,425	54%	13 to 1
93	Eckerd College Saint Petersburg, FL	$51,884	-	1,250	76%	1,893	66%	11 to 1
94	St. John's College Annapolis, MD	$40,684	$22,302	1,370	55%	583	71%	8 to 1
95	Beloit College Beloit, WI	$60,886	-	1,320	63%	1,004	71%	12 to 1
96	Randall University Moore, OK	$17,714	$13,282	-	58%	298	26%	11 to 1
97	The University of the South Sewanee, TN	$56,120	$19,280	1,330	57%	1,724	80%	9 to 1
98	Earlham College Richmond, IN	$53,930	$22,751	1,190	73%	753	69%	7 to 1
99	Whitman College Walla Walla, WA	$64,050	-	1,410	38%	1,561	81%	10 to 1
100	Monmouth College Monmouth, IL	$44,922	-	1,110	91%	713	65%	9 to 1
101	Westminster College Fulton, MO	$35,214	-	1,100	79%	640	55%	9 to 1
102	Principia College Elsah, IL	$34,680	-	-	-	339	74%	6 to 1
103	Albion College Albion, MI	$56,950	$30,000	-	81%	1,308	62%	11 to 1
104	Illinois College Jacksonville, IL	$38,676	$18,300	1,055	78%	942	64%	12 to 1
105	Hillsdale College Hillsdale, MI	$33,189	$28,150	1,420	21%	1,792	90%	8 to 1
106	Sweet Briar College Sweet Briar, VA	$26,160	$12,750	1,230	76%	444	52%	9 to 1
107	Saint Vincent College Latrobe, PA	$42,396	$16,168	1,115	62%	1,440	69%	11 to 1
108	Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN	$56,076	$23,770	-	61%	1,906	77%	12 to 1
109	Wofford College Spartanburg, SC	$56,005	-	1,277	52%	1,817	84%	12 to 1
110	Bridgewater College Bridgewater, VA	$16,090	$19,900	1,180	92%	1,448	53%	13 to 1
111	The College of Wooster Wooster, OH	$61,640	-	1,330	60%	1,738	74%	10 to 1
112	Ave Maria University Ave Maria, FL	$30,198	$10,628	-	41%	1,423	54%	17 to 1
113	Stonehill College Easton, MA	$56,370	$25,777	-	66%	2,674	76%	12 to 1
114	Hope College Holland, MI	$39,484	-	1,215	79%	3,395	80%	9 to 1
115	Saint Mary's College Notre Dame, IN	$53,230	$29,803	1,220	76%	1,601	69%	9 to 1
116	Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams, MA	$21,381	$8,181	-	90%	896	56%	8 to 1
117	Salem College Winston-Salem, NC	$33,848	$6,600	1,160	77%	549	57%	9 to 1
118	Lyon College Batesville, AR	$31,000	$9,840	-	63%	659	47%	11 to 1
119	Sarah Lawrence College Bronxville, NY	$66,862	$36,122	1,360	62%	1,798	71%	10 to 1
120	Wheaton College (Massachusetts) Norton, MA	$63,960	-	1,295	68%	1,785	73%	11 to 1
121	Thomas Aquinas College Santa Paula, CA	$30,200	-	1,310	83%	566	84%	11 to 1
122	Albright College Reading, PA	$29,082	$1,540	-	76%	1,380	51%	11 to 1
123	Southwestern University Georgetown, TX	$53,613	-	1,210	43%	1,440	73%	11 to 1
124	Hollins University Roanoke, VA	$43,560	$18,710	1,230	68%	761	65%	8 to 1
125	Hampshire College Amherst, MA	$58,896	-	-	75%	844	54%	13 to 1
126	University of Virginia's College at Wise Wise, VA	$28,010	$8,352	1,050	29%	2,167	47%	14 to 1
127	Hebrew Theological College Skokie, IL	$15,150	$5,550	-	57%	182	50%	5 to 1
128	Soka University of America Aliso Viejo, CA	$38,728	$38,728	1,440	43%	495	92%	7 to 1
129	University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA	$62,898	$41,422	1,280	72%	1,864	68%	10 to 1
130	Wells College Aurora, NY	$35,166	-	-	-	357	41%	8 to 1
131	Warren Wilson College Swannanoa, NC	$41,500	$21,200	-	71%	791	42%	12 to 1
132	Westminster College New Wilmington, PA	$40,290	$9,000	-	93%	1,191	65%	12 to 1
133	Young Harris College Young Harris, GA	$32,305	$12,000	-	63%	1,457	42%	13 to 1
134	Oakwood University Huntsville, AL	$22,512	$14,516	-	45%	1,226	45%	14 to 1
135	St. John's College Santa Fe, NM	$40,514	$27,678	1,420	53%	467	55%	8 to 1
136	Bethany College Bethany, WV	$36,102	$12,390	-	59%	640	47%	12 to 1
137	Covenant College Lookout Mountain, GA	$42,040	$15,700	1,300	87%	1,100	71%	13 to 1
138	Washington College Chestertown, MD	$55,081	-	1,260	57%	923	65%	8 to 1
139	Wartburg College Waverly, IA	$26,250	$12,000	1,030	76%	1,483	64%	13 to 1
140	Guilford College Greensboro, NC	$41,362	$14,880	1,180	80%	1,180	46%	12 to 1
141	Luther College Decorah, IA	$52,120	-	1,215	72%	1,384	71%	9 to 1
142	Simpson University Redding, CA	$39,708	$20,090	-	86%	992	49%	17 to 1
143	Johnson C Smith University Charlotte, NC	$21,300	$20,770	-	45%	1,302	34%	12 to 1
144	Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL	$56,402	$16,880	1,320	57%	1,837	78%	13 to 1
145	Kentucky Mountain Bible College Jackson, KY	$10,360	$8,910	1,070	100%	94	64%	9 to 1
146	Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN	$31,170	$11,557	-	63%	1,935	61%	12 to 1
147	Central College Pella, IA	$20,988	-	1,100	86%	1,084	66%	11 to 1
148	St. Mary's College of Maryland St. Mary's City, MD	$31,374	$21,416	1,250	69%	1,630	70%	10 to 1
149	Morehouse College Atlanta, GA	$32,893	-	-	44%	2,847	59%	14 to 1
150	University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA	$28,083	$23,010	1,260	80%	3,826	66%	13 to 1
151	Bethany Lutheran College Mankato, MN	$31,360	$10,815	1,150	39%	899	55%	12 to 1
152	Washington & Jefferson College Washington, PA	$29,392	$8,400	-	81%	1,309	70%	11 to 1
153	Birmingham-Southern College Birmingham, AL	$22,750	$8,400	-	-	731	64%	9 to 1
154	Allen University Columbia, SC	$14,304	$9,800	-	73%	610	13%	12 to 1
155	Ohio Wesleyan University Delaware, OH	$54,248	-	-	56%	1,525	59%	12 to 1
156	Houghton University Houghton, NY	$18,430	$15,896	1,275	89%	1,200	65%	12 to 1
157	Roanoke College Salem, VA	$38,068	$26,705	1,190	83%	1,804	67%	11 to 1
158	Magdalen College Warner, NH	$23,600	-	-	-	58	53%	12 to 1
159	Coe College Cedar Rapids, IA	$54,666	-	1,150	64%	1,195	66%	11 to 1
160	Juniata College Huntingdon, PA	$58,580	$14,700	1,220	79%	1,321	74%	11 to 1
161	Meredith College Raleigh, NC	$45,630	$14,020	1,185	74%	1,465	70%	10 to 1
162	Southern Virginia University Buena Vista, VA	$21,030	-	-	96%	936	33%	14 to 1
163	College of the Atlantic Bar Harbor, ME	$47,997	$32,181	1,370	70%	358	68%	9 to 1
164	Bennington College Bennington, VT	$66,262	$24,617	1,335	45%	927	71%	9 to 1
165	Cornell College Mount Vernon, IA	$52,660	$2,800	1,200	80%	1,094	62%	14 to 1
166	New Saint Andrews College Moscow, ID	$16,800	$11,200	1,270	84%	413	74%	19 to 1
	Average	$58,524	$30,261	1,343	46%	1,970	78%	10 to 1